In recent years, genetic diagnosis has attracted focus accompanying the development of life sciences. In genetic diagnosis, specimens such as bacterial cells or viruses are disrupted and nucleic acids such as DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) are extracted from the interiors thereof. The extracted nucleic acids are purified, then amplified by the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method or the like, and analyzed by the electrophoresis method or the like.
As described above, in genetic diagnosis, it is necessary to disrupt specimens as a pretreatment to a degree that the nucleic acids are not broken. Various methods are known for disruption processing of such specimens. There is known a technique in which a solution containing a specimen and a proteolytic enzyme are stored in a container, and the lower portion of the storage container is eccentrically rotated to agitate the solution and the proteolytic enzyme, to disrupt the specimen (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-255).
In addition, a technique in which a container is eccentrically rotated in a state where the central axis of the container and the rotational axis are parallel is also known (Japanese Patent No. 5542379). Further, there is a known method in which a surfactant is mixed into a specimen to disrupt the specimen.
However, in the disruption effected by chemical treatment described above, there is a possibility that cell walls will not be sufficiently broken. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which a solution containing a specimen, a great number of small diameter beads, and a large diameter bead are stored in a container, and the container is agitated to impart physical impact by the beads to the specimen to disrupt the specimen (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-141292).